The Web sites of each hotel chain feature photos of the individual hotel, provide information about amenities and rates and offer a link to the central reservation system so that potential guests may make or change their reservations online.  

The travel industry is one of the fastest growing online categories. According to a recent report by Jupiter Communications, online travel sales tripled from $2.2 billion in 1998 to $6.5 billion in 1999, representing nearly 4.5% of total U.S. travel revenue.

�The launch of these sites marks the next phase of an overall strategic shift to a more Internet-focused way of doing business,� said John Paul Nichols, executive vice president, Sales Marketing, for the Cendant Hotel Division. �As they become accustomed to doing business on the Internet, consumers are getting more used to doing what they want when they want to do it. These new sites will enable them to book hotel rooms in exactly that way.�

Overall, this launch of Web sites for over 4,000 hotels is empowering both for the consumer who wants more choices and the frachisor who wants more control in marketing his hotel and offering enhanced local services.  The Web sites for these four major hotel chains also give Cendant�s hotel franchisees a way of creating innovative local online marketing programs. �We are empowering franchisees to creative destination-based online promotions that simply aren�t feasible at the national level,� Nichols added. �They give the hotels more control over local revenue generating programs and partnerships while still maintaining the integrity of the corporate brand identity.� 

The 4,000 Web sites were created very quickly using the Netopia e-Business Platform. �We offer a full suite of e-Business services to franchisors,� said Tom J. Spadafore, Group Vice President, Netopia e-Business. �Thanks to Netopia�s robust platform, we designed and built the Web sites, host the sites on our server, provide excellent partner and merchant support, and are now working closely with Cendant to promote this new service and create online marketing programs. Cendant�s success with the 4,000-plus hotel Web sites validates the strength of Netopia�s flexible Web site building platform.�

Netopia, Inc. develops, markets and supports Internet and electronic commerce infrastructure for small and medium size businesses. Netopia�s DSL equipment and e-commerce Web platforms enable businesses to connect easily and cost-effectively to the Internet, establish and enhance their Internet presence, and conduct business and electronic commerce on the Web.

Portions of this release include forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.